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Berhalter On Finley: 'He's Not Doing That Well'

By: Adam Jardy

The Columbus Dispatch - April 10, 2014 10:31 PM

When the Crew announced its initial list of players going on loan to USL Pro affiliate Dayton, coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter said he hoped the five would treat the situation as an opportunity rather than a demotion.

“He’s not doing that well and it’s something that we need to get him going,” he said. “He’s a very good player and his performance, we expect to pick up. We know he can make an impact there. We’re waiting for that.”

In addition to Finley, the Crew loaned Matt Walker, Ross Friedman, Kevan George and goalkeeper Brad Stuver to the Dutch Lions about a month ago. Since then, forward Aaron Schoenfeld and defensive midfielder Fifi Baiden have also been sent to Dayton on temporary loans.

Berhalter made it clear that the Crew’s primary focus is on the players’ in-game results.

Presented with the possibility that Finley could view the situation as a demotion, Berhalter said, “What I would say to that is it’s an opportunity for him to score goals and to play and it’s not an easy level. I don’t want the guys to look at this as a demotion. It’s not that. It’s about finding your form, being able to play minutes and being able to perform. We see it as a positive and I hope our guys see it (as that) as well. You look at Kevan and Ross, Matt Walker, Aaron last week, they’ve performed really well and it’s exactly what we’ve imagined from this partnership.”

Schoenfeld remains on loan as he works his way back from a preseason injury.

“We’re going to build his strength and build his fitness and then we’ll bring him back when he’s ready,” Berhalter said. “We think it’s a great opportunity for him to get some rhythm again. He’s had very limited playing time with us and he’s starting to find his stride and that’s a good thing.”

Baiden, who played in Dayton’s 3-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls reserve team March 30, said the level is obviously different than the one he sees at Crew training.

“Obviously it is a step below MLS,” he said. “The level of players we have here is not comparable. Up here everyone has an idea of what to do with the ball and the level is really high. Compared to Dayton, it’s a little bit of a step down. They play with high energy, but the quality is a little down.”

Asked if he was disappointed to be sent to Dayton, Baiden said, “No. I thought it was a great opportunity. It’s soccer and I feel like every day coming out here I have to prove myself. I feel going to Dayton is a good opportunity for me to play 90 minutes of soccer and to get to know the guys as well.”

The task now is apparently for Finley to buy into that. Berhalter said the two are in regular contact and offered his hopes for the forward.

“We’re focusing on getting him playing well and scoring goals, and we know he can do it,” he sais. “He scored a lot of goals in college. It’s just about him getting comfortable with that group and being able to contribute.”